syracuse_basketballfandomcom-20200214-history
10 January 1955
Syracuse Herald Journal- Blue Nats Head For N. Dakota Game Hawks Slash Into Syracuse Basketball Lead; Milwaukee Gains 77-72 Decision It’s blue Monday in the camp of the Syracuse Nationals as they await air transportation to Grand Forks, North Dakota, for tomorrow night’s game with the Minneapolis Lakers. The Nats, beaten 77-72 by the last place Hawks here yesterday, now have a scant one-game lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Division chase. What perturbs the club even more is the realization Boston’s deficit is in the win column, since each have dropped 16 games. Milwaukee has now beaten the Nats in three of five games this season while the Lakers have won four of six. Prior to the Sabbath contest the cards appeared stacked in the Nats’ favor. They came here after shaking off a losing spell by beating Minneapolis Saturday, while Milwaukee was forced to return all the way from Rochester after an extended road trip. But the Hawks wasted little time erasing the edge. Milwaukee started the crowd of 3,926 cheering by taking a 12-2 advantage and led by 12 points on several occasions during the first half. At intermission Syracuse had reduced the margin to six points and finally caught up at 61-all in the fourth period. Quick baskets by Earl Lloyd and Connie Simmons sent the Nats ahead 66-61 with seven minutes to play but they couldn’t hold the edge. Rookie Fran Selvy, the Hawks’ sparkplug, knotted the count at 70-70 with 2:45 to play before George King and Alex Hannum traded foul points. Paul Seymour put the Nats in front again at 72-71 on a free throw conversion with two minutes left, but the Syracusans scoring ended at that stage. Selvy converted foul chances and then Chuck Cooper “stole” the ball from Dolph Schayes at mid-court and passed to Selvy who applied the clincher. Lew Hitch added a bucket in the final seconds. Selvy’s 26 points topped the game scorers. Seymour and Lloyd were high men for Syracuse with 12 each. MILWAUKEE: Pettit (7-5-19), Calhoun (0-0-0), Cooper (0-0-0), Hannum (3-2-8), Share (2-7-11), Hitch (2-0-4), Harrison (2-4-8), Selvy (10-6-26), Saul (0-1-1) TOTALS (26-25-77). SYRACUSE: Schayes (2-7-11), Simmons (3-1-7), Rocha (5-1-11), Lloyd (4-4-12), Kerr (3-0-6), Seymour (4-4-12), King (0-4-4), Kenville (4-1-9), Farley (0-0-0) TOTALS (25-22-72). Score at halftime- Milwaukee 46, Syracuse 40. ---- Nats Staying Assurances that professional basketball will remain in Syracuse next season were indicated today when the Syracuse Nationals requested the War Memorial Commission to make office space available for rental within the War Memorial commencing this April. Present directors of the Nats, seeking to reduce operating expenses to a minimum to insure continued operation, requested use of one ticket window on the Montgomery St. entrance to the War Memorial and office space on the second floor of the State St. side. At its meeting this morning, the commission gave building director William B. Stark permission to negotiate with the Nats to establish rental fees. Stark plans to meet with Nat directors within 48 hours. The Nats now occupy offices on the ground floor of the State Tower Bldg. The lease for these offices expired in October and was not renewed. The Nats have been asked to vacate State Tower offices by May 1. Category:1954-55 Category:Nationals Category:January 10 Category:Calhoun Category:Farley Category:Hannum Category:Harrison Category:Kenville Category:Kerr Category:King Category:Lloyd Category:Rocha Category:Schayes Category:Selvy Category:Seymour Category:Simmons